Supporting means for swinging objects.



A. E. RITTENHOUSR.

SUPPORTING MEANS Pon SWLNGINU OBJECTS APPLICATION FILED FEB` Q1, l'JE5 Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

l SHEETSWSHBET l.

A. RITIBN HOUSE.

SUPPORTING MEANS Fou, SWINGING OBJECTS.

APPLICATION FILED FEEL E! 1:15

1,0%,1 18. www Mar. m. 1914.

2 SHEETS--SHRE f l 1 i, I, I

ARTHUR Ei RITTENHGUSE, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA: .ASSIGNOR TO A. E. 'RITTENHOUSE CO., OF IINEOYE'FALLS, NEW YORK.

SUPPORTING MEANS FOB, SWINGING OBJECTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled February 2l, 1918.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914. Serial No. 749,976.

Be itlinown that lf, )rirrnun lil. Rim-nr:- iiorsia, a citizen olf the United States, residinl at4 neranton7 in the county ot' Laeluv wonna and State ot tonnsylrania, have inl Vented certain new and use'lul Improrements in Supporting Means ilor Swinging Objects, o t' which the following is u specilication. Y

This invention relates to improven'xents in supporting means for swinging objects, and is more especially adapted for suspending' electrically operated toys.

An object ot' the invention is to provide means whereby an object, such lor instance, as a toy aeroplane may be lgiven n swinging motion which shall be continuous in its operation.

A further object isto provide the suspend ed object in such a manner that its motion will be in the nature of circular swinging turns and haring the irnpellinzg` force directly nnmnted upon the swinging object.

A further object is to provide plane with e motor driven propeller and through the agency oit the support therefor conduct the electrically operatingr current to said motor.

l still :further object is to provide a swivel means through which an electric current may be conducted through the supporting means to a niotor operated swinging object.

A. still :further Objectis to provide a means for suspending a swinging object at one side of the center of the main support and Whoroby the `object being` propelled by power within itself travels in a substantially eir cular path, the diameter ot' which depends upon the speed of the traveler.

With these objects in View and others that will appear as the nature ol' the invention is better understood, the same consists of the novel combination and arrangement ot' parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accomimnyinr;` drawings, and pointed out in the appernled claims.

ln the drawings forming a part of this a pplioation and in irheh like reference numerals designate throughout the 'several views: fligure l is a. side elevation ot the device nt rest, its position while in motion being' illustrated in dotted lines. i llig. is a side elevation partly in section ol the supporting,r bracket. Fig.

e is a side elevation' of a bracket sunnort a toy aero,

correspondingparts rigidly secured and omitting the counterweight. Fig. t is a side clever-,ion showing the object swung jt'roln an overhead support. Fin'. 5 is a detail view .et the manie?- oi connecting two `parts ol' the aeroplaney iogether, and, Fig. t is a. detail View of the swivel mipportingl member.

l'ieferringl in detail to the drawings, the aeroplano il() is herein illustrated as the object adapted to bre-swung from the supportingl means and said its forward 'part with the electric motor ll haringl the propeller blades 12 rigidlysecured to the arnulture shaft thereof and en actrlmtioiro the motor being thereby udapted to turn said propeller blade.

It has been found that t-he suspending of the aeroplane from a as the twisted conductor member 13 shown in Fig. 1l, does not permit o't the actuation of the swinging object in circles of varying diameters, but rather such suspension allows the :mroplane 'l0 under the influence of the blades l2 to turn around Substantially upon a central pivot as though pivoted directlyY to the hook liot the aeroplane. It has been found neeesszn'y in order to give circular paths to the movement of the aeroplane that the supporting; means therefor be o 'leet 'from the center ot the support, and t'or this purpose the electrical conducting brackets shown in Figs. 2 und 3 are employed.

l41 or supporting the aeroplane from o stationery member such as the ring la, the swivel arm 15 is provided with the hook 16 jourualed therelhrongh and secured therein by the lower nut 17 and having the top terminal portion 18 adapted to engage said, rincr llt. Adpmenl; the bottom of said Swivel arm. a tubular boss l0 receives the "radial arm 20. which arm is insulated from the boss by an insulating bushing,T Q1.. Said radial' arm is electrically eonuectedto a Washer 29, by meansl of connecting the saine vwith the outer end of said rudial nrm. A tubrl-lar metallic member preferably constructed oi" brass is rigidly-mounted upon the swivel erm and electrically insulated therefrom but electricellyvoonneeted to the "washer 22. which washer ia insulated from the swivel arm and surrounds not only the tubular eomluetor 24 but ale-o the hook 1C centrally extending through the latter. The brushes 25 upon a guy er supporting wire 23.

aeroplane 1s provided nt i single member, such thereto but insulated thereiromby the bushing 26. Said brushes 25 act as one set of terminals from the source of electrical sup ply such as batteries (not shown), the connection to Said brushes being through the line Wire 27 While the terminal resilient ends 28 oi the 'brushes are adapted to engage the tubular conductor 24 Wherebyrthe current will pass through.' the Wire, end of the arm 20, the loop 29 thereon, and the cornbined supporting and conducting iwire 30 to the-motor terminal 3l, said members 30 and 3l being/insulated from'the trame of ythe aeroplane by the .insulated Iblock 32. The circuit in one direction from a line Wire to the motor being apparent, it will be noted that the return circuit is eiiected through the other motorterininal 33 being'attached directly to a Vportion ot the metal traine of the aeroplane and thence communicating through the combined supporting and conducting Wire 34 with said bossil and by which electrical connection is made with the hook'lii' from the upper part of which a line wire 35 is secured.

W ith theae'roplane at rest and suspended from the arno and boss as above described, it

. is apparent that the support Wilbbe overbalancedA so that to Vnormally position the aeroplane and supporting arms horizontally, ar counter-balance Weight 3G is provided upon the outer end of the swivel arm 15 and which weight is suliicient to retain the aeroplane horizontally when the propeller thereof is inactive.

lt may be desired to attach the support rigidly to a member rather than toeireely Sli suspend the same' therefrom as eliected by the hook portion 18, and for this purpose the portion 13 of the member 1G is. elirninated and a plate 3'? substituted 'therefor and by Which the member 16 is rigidly'secured, as to the ceiling of a room, in a vertical position. it is obvious that vwith this manner of' support, the counter-balance Weight '36 is unnecessary, and all of the remaining elements of the device are identical to those heretofore described.

The energizing` of the motor being accomplished through the current conducted tothe supporting Wires 30 and 34, the propeller l2 starting its revolution iinpels the aeroplane at first around a circular path of substam tially the saine diameter as the army 20 and upon gaining in speed, Wider-and Wider circles arc made, the aeroplane assuming the banked position in its flight as shoe1 n by the dotted lines in Fig. l..l

The positioning` at one side of the central support being necessary to accomplish the circular i. ath of the aeroplane-,fthe saine results Whether the member lo is rigidly supported vertically as shown in 3 or freely retained substantially vertical Loomis For suspending the flying object upon av single supporting and conducting member such as 13 shown in Fig. 4, there is provided the line Wire 40 secured'tov the conducting collar 41 of an insulated cylindrical block 42 and with which a conducting spring 43 carried by a companion block 44 is adapted' to contact, said spring' 43 being connected with. the conductor 44 constituting one strand of the supporting` cable 13. The bolt 45 passes centrally through the dielectric 'members' 42 and 44 having its top electri cally connected to the second line wire 46. said bolt 45 is connected with the conductor 47 of the cable'through the connecting plate 48 secured to the exterior of the insulating inember 44. rthe conducting ofthe current through the cable 13 being' thus described, the aeroplane 10 is secured to said cable by means of the hook 14 engaging a loop 49 95 mounted upon the cablev 13 ivhile the electrical couplerl 50 connects up the ineinbers 44 and 47 with the electric motor 51 Which has the propeller blades 12 rigidly secured to its armature. The operation is believed to be apparent in that a connecting-ot the line Wires 40 and 46 with a source of electrical powerv (not shown) thus completes the circuit with the motor 51 and'operates the blades l2 for propelling the aeroplane, the dielectric members 42 and 44 acting as a swivel upon the bolt 45 and the spring 43 electrically connecting as a brush turning upon the outer surfaceof the energized collar 41. The swivel member is provided with a. bail 52 by Which the entire device may be suspended :trom a ceilingl hook 53, said bail being the Afunctional equivalent of the upper supportinof` portion 18 of the hoolr member 16 heretofore described While V'is ap` parent that the hanging of the a'eroplane upon the loop 49 takes all strain from the cord connecting between this point of attachrnent and the motor. It is also noted that a rudder member 54 is provided upon the aeroplane which may be frictionally or other-wise retained in'adjusted positions so as to slightly give direction to the movement of the aeroplane.

'Another feature of thev aeroplane eonstruction shown in detail in Fig'.l 5 consists of providing the `main Jframe 55 thereotl with pert'orations such as 56 for receiving the overturned ends 5?' of the. taily portion 58 of the aeroplane.

mom 1o omi n what monomtho somo dojgnof for use, what I oom oo mow and desire to soom'o by Lofton Potent of 'tho Uoitod Stoteo 1oz-- l. A device -o tho dass described oomprsiog o sooporiting hook, o swive memf bor mouno thereon, om arm; extending :from said swivel member, va counter-balance upon tino 'f1-oo of said arm, a radio1 conducting; secured; to said swivel membor omi zgzzi'sondioo in a' direction opposite fno-said l'otoome arm und being insulated from smid swivel mombe1, swinging ob joot, .Supports between ood object, ond said swivel menubar and rodol mm, and moons foi oloovtriooly conneobng said radio1 arm amd swf/iwi member to the oppogi'to ooo of o somo@ of ooorioo Supply.

A evoo o the ooso oiesoiribodI om-- 'prioiog o suppoming hook, owvol mono 'boo mounted thereon oxo omo oxtonding from so'ol swvo mom or, mlmkoziboon'co upon sho froo ood oi said moto, o rool'ol molou `Ifrom ooid Swivel member, o

@moi-'5mg arm secmfod io :oid swivel ozlombofv :md oxtending in o dixjooton opposto to soid irstmmnod ovm ood boing loonotoff ow inging; :roem-4N bor, on olocoric motor moumod im snfi swinging mombor, o propolloi upon sold ma oor, combined survqnondogg and ooodocfog wloo ooonootod to the oppoo'o pola-5 om. o. motorv und seomod to soli-i mulol mm ood. owivo member, und o lino who coomaoto in, said Swivel :member and rodiol arm.

bor, o counter-weight omo upon ono ...No theleox', und o supporting; 'f1-.Tm nou'n'oizof therefrom upon tho oppooito .fs-iol@ 51m-ao conductor and ou pox-toog wires occured oou woon said swivo. member :md motoil :md between said zum ond nwtolgond oloozricol load 'wires connecting Enid swivel momo-ov:

and supporting lsuono withv o souro of oleo trlcol supply. Y

4. A devloe of the Gloss descnbod oomprising on ooropone, on clectx'io mocoxV tl'loroin, o propellel" upon said molor, a Suopondod sav/1vol, un arm suspended from smid swivel, ooountovwoght, upon ooo ond o said uml, omfxducting supporting wloia tween tho op )osito endof said arno from mio oountoowoig connections to said swivel momoor*adopted 'or supplying current to`sud wires.

\ En testimony whereof :mix my oguotoo in prosonoo of two wimosses.

ARTHUR E. R''lfNHUE. Wtnossos oumm J. Bonomo, Cfvnmcmzvo Sor/xmms.

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